I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to truck bed divider systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to a truck bed divider system comprising primary walls for frictional engagement with the interior walls of the pickup bed and secondary walls for slottable interplacement between the primary walls.
II. Description of the Relevant Art
In recent years the great utility of the pickup truck has been recognized. The pickup truck, being as it is multi-functional and highly versatile, offers the advantages of being usable to haul goods and, at the same time, being capable of hauling passengers in an interior cab environment comparable to the comforts known and appreciated in the average car.
One of the known disadvantages of the present truck bed is that, while serving very well the desired purpose of placement therein of large loads, it does not function particularly well when being utilized to ship and carry smaller goods. Unless the smaller goods are particularly heavy or include a flat underside, they tend to shift and roll about, in that their motion is relatively unrestricted.
This situation is compounded by the fact that pickup trucks tend to deliver a relatively stiff ride. Every small bump or rut is felt in the truck, and the bed, being uncushioned, receives these shocks directly. Anything not tied or weighted down moves in response to each jolt.
In an effort to minimize this characteristic, bed boxes have been utilized. These boxes typically comprise a box interfittable between the side walls and placeable against the front wall of the bed. The box conventionally has two doors on its top side, each being situated so as to open opposite the other. The box is generally provided with a lock.
However, while providing some relief to the problem, these bed boxes tend to be rather expensive and are not easy to fit in place within the pickup truck bed. Because the bed box does not extend to the floor of the bed but rather leaves a space between the floor and the bottom of the box, it does not provide much space for carrying the desired goods. Additionally, the bed box is not usable once a bed cover or bed cap is fitted. When the bed is covered by either construction, there is no practical system for dividing the bed into usable compartments.
Accordingly, prior approaches to providing effective bed divider systems have failed to eliminate the problems commonly associated with pickup truck beds.